Faith Event and God-Wink Moments

Faith Events and God-Wink Moments

 

I have a great need to build my faith. I would like it to be as strong as David’s confidence was when he confronted Goliath. How did David build such faith? The answer could be that, as a shepherd, he spent hours alone in the wilderness tending sheep and talking to God. He listened for God’s voice. He grew his faith over time in quiet moments alone with God. 

     I would also like my faith to be as strong as Esther’s was when she went before the King without being summoned to do so. She could have been killed, but her faith was strong enough to depend upon God for her safety. How did this happen? She not only prayed and fasted but also asked her people to do the same. Here again, I see someone who trusted because she had prepared over a course of time, and she had talked with God, making Him her priority.  

     I have to admit, I have had not had many giants to face in my life. Although my faith was weak, I had victories. God has also given me God-wink moments; many I simply did not even recognize at the time. 

     I think I will use the day to try and remember some of those moments and be thankful to God for them. 

The How and the Way

      Goliath was a mighty giant, but he was a cruel bully that even a small boy defeated.  Samson had the strength of many men, but his pride and lack of wisdom led to his early death.  These men could have accomplished so much more had they fully taken  advantage of the spiritual gifts which were distributed to them by God. They did not know how to come together with others. 

     We, as Christians, also have the ability to accomplish small and large tasks for God.  It may require forming a “network of shoulders”, supporting others to accomplish God’s purpose.  We just need to remember that God directs the “How” and the “Way”.     

Goliath And The Stone

     Goliath was a very big giant of a man. He was so big even the mighty men of war trembled in his presence. According to scripture Goliath was “six cubits and a span.” The interpretation I found shows this to be 9 to 10 feet. We are also told that Goliath wore a coat weighing “five thousand shekels of brass.” I looked this up and found it to be 125 pounds. The weight of this along would put most men to the ground.  Can you imagine a small boy in his youth fearless enough to stand up to this huge giant with only a few stones?
     Just what makes some men and women tremble or get sick and depressed while others, going through similar troubling situations, meet people with a smile, never displaying their problems?  Why can some people face their problems in order to find solutions and embrace life while others hide themselves in self-pity?  How can we all strive to eliminate anxiety and worry?  I would like to believe it is sincere faith in a God who promises to walk with us through the trials of life.    
     The way I would like to spell F-A-I-T-H is like this:

“ Fear that has said its prayers”

  Abort self-pity
  Implant the positive
  Trust in God with all your heart
  Hydrate yourself in His Word

     When David went out to meet Goliath, he showed great faith.  David said, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”  There was no doubt in David’s mind that he would kill Goliath that day as he shouted, “Thou cometh to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel…” 

     When faced with problems so huge we see no way to overcome them, it would be good to remember the slogan I saw on a billboard recently, “For every Goliath, there is a stone.”  

I Believe!

     My parents took me to church from the time I was small.  I have been blessed to feel I have always known about God.   But yet, it was up to me to seek Him, to believe in Him, and to accept His love and His Word.  At the age of 12, I did this by faith.  I have not thought to question His existence.  He is the source of my peace and my lifeline.  If I had to explain why, I couldn't.  God is just there.  It is faith.  For me, that is all he asks. 

I believe in the Old and New Testament-

Scriptures and stories given with intent.      
There was the Garden of Eden,
The creation, the flood, the beginning but not the end.  
There was Adam and Eve-
Oh yes! I believe.

I believe in the great Red Sea;

How it opened up so His people would be free.
There was David and Goliath,  
Besides the stories that came just prior.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Are ones we all well-know. 
Jonah was a man swallowed by a whale
For three days, in the belly, was where he dwell.     

Yes! I believe them all-
Those who followed His call;
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John;
Men who carried the gossip on. 
There was a man named Zacchaeus,
The walking on the water,
A boy with five loaves and two fish.

I believe in the birth of a King;

For that I will shout and sing.
I believe in the cross and the nails in His hand;
In the eternal life He has planned.
I believe in the blood and the resurrection.
That’s my faith and my reaction!

I believe in Jesus Christ,

His mighty sacrifice,
His love, power, and grace,
The protective angels, and His forgiving embrace.
Yes! I believe.
That’s why I receive.

                  Mary Crisp Jameson – 8/17/2014

 

Win! Place! Show!

     Win! Place! Show! What does it take? The right bet on the right thoroughbred horse in the right race.

      According to one article I read, a thoroughbred has a small yet elegant head with a high chest. Their profile is straight and the neck long with well-sloped shoulders. It is handsome, alert, and spirited with boundless courage and immense stamina. The breed is known for endurance, agility, and a big heart.

     When I occasionally attend the Oaklawn horse races, excitement runs high as I watch the thoroughbreds enter the track. I look at their coloring, the way they hold their head, and the spirit of their gait. I have to admit, some are just better looking than others. I listen to the gasp in the crowd when a jockey has a problem getting his horse in the gate. However, the horses are all soon off and running with breakneck speed only to either lag behind, overcome another, or stretch out their legs, running neck to neck, through the finish line. As always, in the game of racing, the favorites nor the best looking ones, do not always win.
     I wonder if that is why Jesus did not always select the most upstanding, handsome, or the most favored people to do His work. Maybe they had to learn to run with endurance, agility, and heart to become thoroughbreds.
     Jonah was afraid, lacked faith, and was stubborn. He ran from God’s call, but after being swallowed by the whale and given a second chance, he learned not to defy God and became a thoroughbred. Moses had murdered a man and escaped to the wilderness when he was called. He argued with God that he could not do what God was asking, but in the end Moses became strong, obedient, and ran with stamina. He faltered at times but God gave him courage, faith, and endurance. Samson was given supernatural strength, but he allowed his weakness toward an untruthworthy woman to rob him of that strength. At the end of his life he turned to God, regained his strength, and showed great courage. David was short in statute and just a boy when he killed Goliath. The people did not see him as a strong and mighty soldier for the king’s army, but God gave David the strength to kill a giant with only a slingshot and a small stone. Zacchaeus was a wee little man who could not see above the crowd, yet Jesus offered him a special invitation. Zacchaeus was converted and became a thoroughbred.
     I believe thoroughbreds are formed through a strong and daily relationship with God. Jesus provides so many examples of endurance, heart, courage, and stamina. Being a thoroughbred does not necessarily mean being a favorite among men, but becoming a thoroughbred does make a difference on whether you win, place, or show in life.
     I have a long way to go, but I pray, as I sit here in "A Friendly Shade" that although I falter at times, God will mold me into a thoroughbred for Christ.